Decorating interior walls of houses or other surfaces



H. M. JOHNSTON.

Patented Dec. 29, 1896.

- (No Model.)

DECORATING INTERIOR WALLS 0F HOUSB$ OR OTHER SURFACES.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. JOHNSTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

DECORATING INTERIOR WALLS 0F HOUSES OR OTHER SURFACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,332, dated December 29, 1896.

Application filed June 11, 1896. Serial No. 695,215. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, HENRY M. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Decorating the Interior Walls of Houses or other Surfaces; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention.

This invention relates more particularly to the decoration (after the manner of painting) of the interior Walls (side walls or ceilings, or both) of houses; but it extends to the decoration of papers or other hangings orcoatings for walls and, even further, to the decoration of surfaces in general. The materials to be coated may be of any suitable description. They may be. rigid (as wood, brick, stone, plaster, or the like) or flexible, (as cloth, paper, or the like.)

The object of the present invention is to produce fibrous or textile efiects upon the walls or other surfaces to be decorated. Such effects may be produced over the whole or only on a part of a wall or surface.

In accordance with the present invention the Wall or other article to be decorated is surfaced With hardened adhesive material and has such surface overlaid with separated fibers of a strong pliable nature with a maximum length of threequarters of an inch, which adhere to said surface throughout or mainly throughout their length in a position parallel or approximately parallel thereto and leave the ground visible between the fibers. To produce this decoration, the Wall or other surface must be rendered sticky, and While it is thus sticky the fibers must be delivered onto the same in such manner as to adhere thereto flatwise with open spaces between the fibers. When the adhesive material hardens, the fibers are firmly held. Many of these fibers may lie across one another, and if they do not adhere at the crossing-points, While secured at both ends, it is immaterial, as they have the appearance of fibers adhering throughout their length as distinguished from fibers standing up as a nap or pile. Moreover, it is not essential that all the fibers should adhere throughout their length so long as the so-adhering fibers are seen in sufficient number to impart their substantial appearance to the surface. 7

To render the Wall or other surface sticky, it may be painted or coated by means of a brush or by other means with a strongly-adhesive tenacious liquid or paste. A size or solution of glue, a soft jelly of glue, starch paste, boiled linseed-oil, oil-paint, distemperpaint, a solution of shellac or other resin, or a varnish of any suitable description (oil, spirit, or other varnish) are some of the strongly-tenacious adhesive liquids or pastes which maybe used. After the application of the adhesive coat, while said coat is sticky, the fibers are delivered onto the same. The coat might in some cases be allowed to dry and be then made sticky by application of Water or other solvent thereto.

The fibers employed are of a strong pliable nature, such as those of Wool, hair, cotton, flax, hemp, jute, silk, or other suitable fibers, long enough to have a definite hair-like or thread-like form asdistinguished from a mere powder and of an average maximum length of about three-quarters of an'inch, (preferv ably from about a sixteenth to three-eighths of an inch in length, although fibers of full three-quarters of an inch can be used.) The fibers may be bleached or unbleached, and they may be colored in any desired way, or they may be used uncolored.

In orderto deliver the fibers onto the sticky surface, they may be projected against the same by means of an air-blast or by other means. In applying the fibers by air-blast use may be made of a sort of air-gun or airbrush, consisting, say, of a collapsible or bellows-like receptacle (in which the fibers may be placed in a loose and Well-separated condition) with a nozzle at the end, (through Which the fibers can be delivered.) Such guns are known for delivering insecticidepowders, sand, and other granular and pulverulent substances and require no particular description. As the fibers are blown onto the sticky surface the gun or air-brush is moved al0ng,'so as to leave the fibers adhering fiatwise in sufficient number to yield a fibrous or textile efiect, while permitting the ground to appear between the fibers.

Instead of delivering the fibers by an airblast itis considered advantageous to deliver them by means of a roller or other transfer implement to which the fibers temporarily adhere, the transferring-surface having less adhesiveness than the sticky surface to which the fibers are to be transferred. A roller of the composition in common use in printers inkingrollers and consisting (as is well known) of glue, glycerin, and molasses or sugar is suitable; but other rollers and other compositions may be used. The fibers may be sifted onto a table. The roller may be then passed over the fibers, which will adhere to the surface of the roller, and the roller loaded with fibers is then applied to the sticky wall or other surface and rolled back and forth or in any suitable way so as to transfer the fibers to the said sticky surface.

For general working it is considered advantageous to use an adhesive which yields a transparent or translucent coat and to paint or coat the wall or other surface with a coloring composition before applying such adhesive and the fibers, so that said preliminary colored coating shall appear as the ground between the fibers, which maybe of the same or of a different color from the ground; but a colored ground between the fibers can be obtained by coating the surface with the colored composition simultaneously with the application of the strongly-tenacious adhesive liquid or paste, (as well as prior to such application.) For example, calcimine or distemper-pain t,in which the vehicle is com posed of strong size or glue in admixture with commin uted or powdered pigments, may be applied and the fibers be delivered onto the surface while the coat of calcimineis sticky. So also oil-paint, or, indeed, any colored composition of suitable adhesiveness, could be utilized to hold the separated fibers, as well as to furnish a colored ground to appear between the fibers. Should it be desired to have the ground between the fibers constituted by a surface which has not been coated with a colored composition, such surface could be given a transparent or translucent coat of stronglyadhesive tenaceous liquid or paste and the fibers be delivered onto such coat while the same is sticky.

After the fibers have been applied in whatever way they may be rolled or otherwise pressed onto the surface, and they may (with or without previous rolling) be further coated with glue-size or varnish or other coating which does not destroy the fibrous or textile effect. The fibers may be applied repeatedly to the same surface, if desired.

The accompanying drawing is a view of a fiber-decorated surface.

The fibers A overlie the surface to which they adhere throughout or mainly throughout their length in a position parallel or approximately parallel thereto, leaving the ground B visible between the fibers. The length and the kind of fibers, as well as their distribution, may be varied within the limits herein set forth, and ordinarily the ground 15, as well as the fibers A, would be colored. By having the fibers A to differ in hue, tint, or shade from the ground B pleasing contrasts (more or less pronounced, as desired) may be attained. \Vithin the limits of the general. features, therefore, there may be the greatest variety of effect.

The following particular descriptions are given by way of example as illustrations and not as restricting the invention thereto.

First example: Take a pound (or any desired weight) of any of the fibers mentioned, cut, say, by machine to a length of, say, about a sixteenth of an inch on an average. Sift the fibers onto a flat table so as to form a thin layer thereon. Then roll a slightly-adhesive roller over the layer of the fibers. A roller will answer of about a foot long and three inches diameter. Rollers of other dimensions may be used, or other forms may be used in the transferring implement. The roller may be made in any suitable way, as, for example, by molding the glue, glycerin, and molasses composition about a rod, so as to leave the ends of the latter exposed to form handles. Having painted the walls with calcimine, when this is dry prepare the surface for the fibers by coating a convenient space with size formed by dissolving one part, by weight, of glue (equal to Coopers N o. 1) in fifteen parts, by weight, of water. The coat of size can be applied with a brush or in any suitable way. \Vhile this coat is sticky or adhesive roll the roller loaded with fibers back and forth over it. The fibers stick flatwise to the sized surface and are thus taken from the roller. The roller may be again rolled over the layer of loose fibers and then applied to the sticky surface as often as may be necessary to get the desired effect.

Second example: Goat a calcimined surface after it is dry with glue-size by means of a brush or in any suitable way, and when this is dryapply athin coat of varnish, (composed, say, of four parts, by measure, of dammar varnish to one part, by measure, of turpentine.) .Vhile the varnish is sticky, deliver the fibers onto itby the roller in the manner set forth in the first example.

Third example: Coat acalcimined surface I with the glue-size, then while the size is sticky apply the fibers with the roller, then coat again with the glue-size, and apply the fibers again.

The size or adhesive and the fibers may be applied to other surfaces as well as to calcimined surfaces. Instead of using the size or adhesive in a colorless or plain state it may be colored or mixed with dissolved or undissolved or dissolved and undissolved substance. The undissolved substance may be of a soluble nature, but in excess of the solvent power of the vehicle, or it may be insoluble. Instead of dammar varnish shellac varnish or other varnishes or paints may be used.

After the application of the fibers they may be coated over with glue-size, varnish, oil, or

distemper-paint, or other preparation which can be so applied as to leave the fibrous or textile effect. Should it be desired to deliver the fibers by air-blast, this can be done in any of the examples. After such delivery of the fibers a roller may be passed over the surface. Of course a roller loaded with fibers could be used in connection with an application of fibers by air-blast, so as to deliver the fibers on the same sticky surface by both modes.

Instead of applying the fibers directly to the surface of walls they may be applied to backings (as wall-papers or hangings, for example, or backing of other forms) and these can be secured to the walls in any ordinary or suitable way. The fibers could be sifted onto the sticky surface of the paper or other like backing, or they could be delivered thereonto by air-blast, or by means of a roller, or in any suitable way.

The invention (and each of the improvements included therein) is intended to be secured for other uses (to which the same may be adapted) as well as for the decoration of the interior walls of houses by direct application or by the application of wall'papers or other decorative fabrics.

I claim as my invention or discovery- 1. The method of decorating wall or other surfaces, by causing strong pliable fibers with a maximum length of three-quarters of an inch to adhere temporarily to a transfer-surface, and then transferring the so-adherent fibers to thesurface to be decorated while the latter is in a sticky condition, in such a manner as to adhere or mainly to adhere throughout their length to said surface in a position parallel or approximately parallel thereto and to leave the ground visible between the fibers, substantially as described.

2. The method of decorating wall or other surfaces, by coating the wall or other surface with a strongly-tenacious adhesive liquid or paste, causing strong pliable fibers with a maximum length of three-quarters of an inch to adhere temporarily to a transfer-surface of a material of less adhesiveness than said liquid or paste, and then transferring the soadherent fibers to the surface to be decorated while the latter is in a sticky condition, in such a manner as to adhere or mainly to adhere throughout their length to said surface in a position parallel or approximately parallel thereto and to leave. the ground visible between the fibers, substantially as described.

3. An article surfaced with hardened adhesive material and having separated fibers of a strong pliable nature with a maximum length of three-quarters of an inch overlying the said hardened material and adhering thereto throughout or mainly throughout their length in a position parallel or approximately parallel to the surfaces of said article, leaving the ground visible between the fibers, substantially as described.

4. An article surfaced with atransparent or translucent coat of hardened adhesive material and having separated fibers of a strong pliable nature with a maximum length of three-quarters of an inch overlying the said coat and adhering throughout or mainly throughout their length in a position parallel or approximately parallel to the surface of said article, leaving the ground visiblethrough said coat between the fibers, substantially as described.

5. An article surfaced with a hardened adhesive material and colored with paint or color and having separated fibers of a strong pliable nature with a maximum length of threequarters of an inch overlying the said hardcned material and adhering throughout or mainly throughout their length in a position parallel or approximately parallel to the surface of said article leaving the painted or colored ground visible between the fibers, substantially as described.

' 6. An article surfaced with hardened adhesive material and having separated fibers of a strong pliable nature with a maximum length of three-quarters of an inch overlying the said hardened material and adhering thereto throughout or mainly throughout their length 'in a position parallel or approximately parallel to the surface of said article, leaving the ground visible between the fibers, the said ground and said fibers being different in color so as to contrast more or less with each other, substantially as described.

7. An article surfaced with hardened adhesive material and having separated fibers of a strong pliable nature, with a maximum length of three-quarters of an inch and a minimum length sufficient to give a definite thread-like appearance such as about a sixteenth of an inch, overlying said hardened material and adhering thereto throughout or mainly throughout their length in a position parallel or approximately parallel to the surface of the said article, said fibers arranged relatively to each other to leave the ground between them visible and crossing one another to give an effect of interlacing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY M. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

FRANK M. KELLY, CHARLES W. KELLY. 

